Once Upon a Time: The Complete Sixth Season

This sixth season presents the close of the initial narrative arc of ABC's fractured fairy-tale extravaganza, ending the tale that began in 2011 with the Evil Queen disrupting the wedding of Snow White and Prince Charming—transporting both (and other familiar characters) to the town of Storybrooke with all memory of their former lives erased. In the ensuing years, the mythology has grown more complicated as new characters were added and plot twists multiplied, but the overriding objective has always been to break the curse and restore order—a process begun when young Henry Mills (Jared Gilmore) brought his mother Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), the daughter of Snow and Charming, to town. But this season also adds further layers of complexity, including the return of the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) and the villainous Mr. Hyde (Sam Witwer), along with the introduction of new characters like Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, Captain Nemo, the Tin Man, and Beowulf. As in previous seasons, the visuals are impressive, with excellent effects for small-screen fare, and the large cast—many of whom appear in both fairy-tale embodiments and as “real world” characters—continue to shine (Robert Carlyle is especially compelling as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold). But because so much of the plot depends on knowledge of previous seasons, newcomers are advised to go back to the beginning rather than start with this set. And longtime fans can look forward to the coming year's partial reboot, in which a grown-up Henry will be summoned to a new adventure. Presenting all 22 episodes from the 2016-17 sixth season, extras include an episode commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, and a blooper reel. Recommended. (F. Swietek)